Retribution Boxed Set (Books One and Two) (4 page)

“It pisses me off when people think they have the
right to judge others when, in reality, they rarely have the complete picture.”

She nodded in agreement. She was the perfect
example of that.

The barista brought their drinks, and she pulled
out her wallet.

“It’s on me.” The man handed a ten-dollar bill to
the worker.

“I couldn’t. You’ve already been more than kind.”

He turned to her again, his warm, tiger-like eyes
studying her face. “I’m guessing you’ve had a pretty rough day. Let me get this
for you.”

His gesture almost undid her. She wanted to tell
him how awful the past few days had been, but emotion limited her vocabulary. “Thank
you. You’re very kind.” Grateful that she could now escape the scrutiny of
everyone in the shop, she picked up her latte and headed for the door.

Xander grabbed the hot cup of coffee and followed
after the pretty brunette. She was far more compelling in person than she’d
been in her photo, and his instant attraction to her annoyed the hell out of
him. It pissed him off that he could feel something besides hatred for the
daughter of the man who’d ruined his father.

Made him feel a little guilty, too.

He’d tried to keep from meeting her green-eyed
gaze directly, but realized his efforts were futile. If he intended to get
close enough to the woman to find a way to bust her, he’d have to rein in his
primal instincts and shield himself from her. If he couldn’t look her in the
eye, she’d never trust him.

His gaze drifted lower as she neared the door,
and he gave himself a moment’s reprieve to appreciate her finer attributes. Damn.
The physical part of him couldn’t distinguish between a thief and a good girl,
and right now, he couldn’t ignore the way her tight jeans curved against her
ass. Her hips swayed as she walked, mesmerizing him. He tilted his head. He
supposed following a beautiful perp had to be preferable to some ugly-ass old
man anyway.

It would be a shame when they found her guilty
and locked her behind bars. He might skip that sentencing. It would be rough
thinking about what the prison system would do to a beauty like her. But guilty
people must pay. Pretty or not. It was kind of like tossing out a gorgeous
bouquet of red roses because they’d been infested with bugs. Unfortunate, but
necessary.

The door was nearly shut before he reached it. He
pushed against its weight and stepped out of the cramped coffee shop and into
the cool evening. Outdoor lights located under the awning above the door lit
the area around him.

He was happy to see the object of his pursuit
hadn’t gotten far. She’d set her cup on one of the small tables and was
currently untying the leash of a cute black and white dog.

The canine growled as he approached.

Xander held out his hand as Nicole looked over
her shoulder to see what had her dog’s attention. The dog lifted its nose, and
Xander squatted beside Nicole. “Hi there,” he said in a soft voice, letting the
animal sniff his fingers.

“She might bite.” Nicole stood, the dog’s leash
now wrapped around her hand.

Xander stayed low to the ground, allowing the dog
to finish her assessment. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you,” he said to the canine.
“What’s her name? When Nicole didn’t answer right away, he glanced up, finding
an uncertain look on her face.

“Stormy.”

“Hi, Stormy.” Her dog seemed to accept his use of
her name as an acceptable way to make friends, and she began to lick his fingers.
“I think she likes me.”

She frowned at her dog. “Normally, she doesn’t
like men.”

Xander stood, meeting Nicole’s gaze. “Maybe I’m
not like most men.”

She blinked a few times, uncertainty growing in
her eyes. “I would definitely agree with that after how nice you were inside.” She
tugged on Stormy’s leash, pulling her closer to her feet. “Thank you again.”

He made her nervous. He supposed that was only
natural, especially after recent events. Stealing ten million would put most
people on guard. He wondered what her game plan was or if she even had one. “You’re
welcome, Ms. Camden.” Maybe she hadn’t expected to get caught. But leaving
one’s fingerprints at the scene was a pretty stupid move, although she didn’t
seem like she was all that dense.

Concern furrowed between her brows. “How did you—
She stopped abruptly. “The news.”

He shrugged and tried to give her a smile that
might ease her tension. “You’re in the papers and all over TV.”

“Right.” Her bottom lip trembled, and he could
tell she struggled to maintain her composure. “Well. With that, I think I’m
going to head home. Thank you again…”

“Xander. Xander Secrist,” he supplied at her
hesitation. He stuck out his hand in greeting. She transferred Stormy’s leash
to her left hand before accepting his gesture. Her grim was firm, her skin
soft.

She gave his hand a quick shake and released it. “Thank
you for making my day more bearable, Xander. I hope you have a nice evening.” She
picked up her latte and turned.

“Do you want some company? He sounded like a desperate
man looking for a date. It had been so long since he’d tried to interest a
woman that it seemed he’d lost his touch, even if, on this occasion, it was all
a ploy. “I could walk you home.”

She looked back and hesitated before she shook
her head.

He silently cursed. He’d almost had her.

“I’m fine. I’m not going to be good company right
now anyway. But, thanks.”

How did he come back from a rejection like that? “Okay,
I understand.”

She and Stormy started walking again, and he
frantically searched for another excuse to keep her talking. He couldn’t let
her get away without some kind of future commitment. He might not get the
chance to get close to her again.

“Wait,” he called out, sitting his coffee on one
of the tables so he could hurry after her.

She turned, wariness widening her beautiful eyes.
“Look Xander, I’m not really sure what’s going on here. I appreciate the save
in there and the latte. I don’t know if this is a pick up or what, but this
isn’t a good time for me.”

He started to object, but she cut him off.

“You’re really cute and very nice, and any other
time, I’d definitely be interested. But I’m in the middle of a huge nightmare,
and I’m a little preoccupied by it all right now. So, thank you, but goodnight.”
She turned once again and started walking, her shoes clicking rapidly on the
sidewalk.

Damn it. Xander raked his fingers through the
short hair over his ears. If he wasn’t careful, he’d blow it. Then again,
letting her walk away was equivalent to blowing it. Shit. “Nicole,” he called
out.

She didn’t turn around. Instead, she shook her
head and kept walking.

He started jogging toward her. “I’d like to help
you.”

That stopped her.

She shifted her gaze to him, giving him a look
that said he was pushing his luck.

He held up his hands in a non-threatening gesture.
“I know this is making me look like a nut job and probably scaring the hell out
of you. I don’t normally hound women until they talk to me.”

She stared at him for a few seconds, looking as
though she was trying to decide if she should listen or run. “Fine. I don’t
know how you could possibly help me, but fine. Have your say, and then I’m
going to leave. If you try to stop me or follow me, I’ll scream. There’s enough
traffic around that someone will help me, and Stormy really will bite if you
threaten me.”

“God.” He huffed his incredulity. “I do sound
crazy, don’t I?”

She didn’t answer, but instead waited for him to
continue.

He hadn’t felt this insecure about himself since
his teenage years. He
had
to impress her. If he wanted to bust her, he
had
to be close to her. “I’ll admit I’d like to get to know you better.” And he
wished like hell he could tame that part of him. “But that’s not the entire
reason I’m not giving up after you’ve shot me down. I’m a financial analyst
with a strong background in computers. I also have a friend who’s excellent at
getting information that’s not accessible to most people. You say you’re
innocent, and I really don’t want to see an innocent person behind bars. The
idea came to me while we were waiting for our drinks. I have some expertise,
and I’d like to help find the person who’s really responsible for this crime. It’s
sort of like a puzzle to me, and I’d like to help solve it.”

“This puzzle you want to solve isn’t a game. It’s
my life.”

Shit. “Of course. I didn’t mean to trivialize it.”
He softened his gaze and lowered his voice, going for the less alpha approach. “Really,
I’d just like to help. Even if all I end up doing is offering you some moral
support.”

She seemed to consider it, but then shook her head.
“I have an attorney who is looking out for my interests. Getting you involved
would only complicate matters.”

No
. His mind raced for another slant, but
he was at a loss. It looked like he’d have to run this game from the sidelines
which wouldn’t be nearly as easy. “Can I give you my card in case you change
your mind?”

Several weighted seconds passed before she
answered. “Sure. But it’s unlikely I’ll call.”

He pulled the wallet from his coat pocket and
handed his card to her. His fingers grazed hers as she took it, and he wished
he could take her hand in his one more time and feel her skin against him. “I
hope you’ll change your mind.”

She slipped the card into the pocket of her
jacket. “Goodbye, Xander.”

He studied her face, trying to memorize the shape
of her alluring green eyes and the curve of her jaw. “Goodbye, Nicole. Whatever
happens, I hope justice is served on the person who committed the crime.”

She narrowed her eyes in a sincere gesture. “Me,
too.” Then she and Stormy walked away from him yet again.

He watched her leave, a hint of an unwelcome
feeling churning beneath the surface of his emotions. The way she’d answered
him, the look she’d had in her eye almost made him think she might be innocent.

Almost.

*        *        *

Nicole sipped her cooling latte as she walked the
few blocks home. The rich, spicy tea didn’t excite her tongue like it normally
did. Instead, a tall, dark-haired man stole the attention away from her taste
buds.

She couldn’t quite wrap her mind around the
episode that had taken place between her and Xander Secrist. At first, he
seemed like such a pleasant person, coming to her rescue in the coffee shop. Even
when he’d followed her outside, he’d seemed okay. He was definitely her type. But
she couldn’t possibly consider starting a relationship right now.

Plus, he’d been so reluctant to take no for an
answer. Like weirdly so. She glanced over her shoulder for the millionth time
to make sure he wasn’t following her.

The well-lit sidewalk was clear.

Maybe his efforts really had been because he’d
liked her. She couldn’t deny she’d felt the spark of attraction, too. Every
time he’d focused on her, the energy humming through her body had spiked. His
height, the nice build of his body had all attracted her. Not to mention, he
wore a suit. Her favorite fantasies began with her slipping a tie from her
lover’s collar.

If he’d have come along even a week ago, she
would have been thrilled he’d flirted with her. Things had changed. If she
survived this ordeal, and she prayed she would, then she could think about
something as normal as dating.

As she approached her apartment building, she
recognized Janie sitting on the front steps. Her friend sat with her head
resting against the railing, her eyes shut.

“Janie?” Nicole said as she reached her friend. “Are
you okay?”

Janie opened her eyes, her lips struggling to
smile. “I’m fine. Long night at work last night, and I’m just gearing up for
another round.” She nodded, inviting Nicole to sit next to her. “Paul is on a
rampage, and it’s quieter out here.”

“I understand.” Her boyfriend was an unmitigated
jerk. She’d talked to Janie about leaving him before, but her friend tried to
explain how she wasn’t ready. That kind of reasoning didn’t make sense to
Nicole, but she respected her friend’s choices. “You know you could come up to
my apartment.”

“No. I really am on my way to work.” She glanced
at her watch. “Five more minutes and then I’m off.”

“Okay. But you know you’re always welcome.”

“I know.” She turned her attention to Stormy. “Come
give me a kiss, cute little puppy, before I have to go to work.”

Stormy gave her cheek a slobbery kiss, earning a
laugh from Janie.

Nicole talked to her friend until she left, and
then she started up the two flights of stairs to her apartment, Stormy happy to
walk dutifully beside her. Weariness set in before she reached her floor. How
did something like this happen to a person? In the movies, yes. In real life,
no. Normal people did not get accused of crimes they didn’t commit.

Of course, she knew that wasn’t always the case. She’d
heard the horror stories of those who’d been freed after twenty years of
incarceration when someone had finally been able to prove them innocent.

A wave of nausea rolled through her. There were
no go-backs, no giving those people back what had been stolen from them. If she
were convicted, she could face twenty-five years in prison.

That was a lifetime.

She entered her apartment and removed Stormy’s
leash before she sank onto her couch feeling dizzy, her heart thundering in her
chest. In twenty-five years, she’d be fifty-six. Nearly a senior citizen. There
would be no marriage for her. No babies. The best part of her years would have
been spent inside a tiny prison cell.

She wouldn’t survive it.

With a shaking hand, she reached up and pushed
her bangs out of her face.

She’d always been good at keeping her chin up
despite life’s vicious turns. But at this moment, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be
able to get off the couch again.